Yasawa Islands diving
The Yasawa group is made of 12 islands stretched over 90 km (55 miles). The diving offers a wide range of opportunities which include swim throughs, walls, canyons, and pinnacles. The marine life is varied and eagle rays, sea turtles and reef sharks are a common sight.
Always dive according to your level of training.
Never enter the water without checking with the local dive center for safety, additional information, level required for each dive site and without being accompanied by a professional.
All the information provided is purely informative for our readers and shouldn't be used as is to plan your immersion.
Visibility average: 25 – 30+ metres
Possible to dive: All year round
The Yasawas offer a good range of dives to pick from. There are are canyons, pinnacles, walls, coral heads, swim throughs and caves. Colourful hard and soft corals, sponges, feather stars, fan corals and anemone beds are abundant. The depths vary a lot going from 6 metres (19 feet) to greater depths like 35metres (115 feet) and more. This makes it easy to cater for novices as well as more advanced divers all at once. The visibility is good in general and many times exceeds 30 metres (98 feet). Some of the marine life you will encounter here includes, eagle rays, bumphead parrot fish, the rare hairy ghost pipe fish, scorpion fish, reef, leopard sharks barracuda and anemone fish just to name a few. Nudibranches like flatworms, pipefish and the Spanish dancer can also be seen.
Sawa-I-Lau Island, a little island off Yasawas southern tip is well known for its underwater limestone caves in which it’s possible to dive. There are three caves, the main one has a big chamber harbouring a deep pool. On the walls there are ancient inscriptions and drawings. To access the inner cave of Sawa-i-Lau, you have dive under a rocky curtain and swim through a tunnel. It’s not totally dark black inside the cave as there’s a vent on the way in, through the top from the high rocky island above. However it is advisable to take a torch. The water here is clear and only a couple degrees, less than the Pacific Ocean which is 26°C (79°F). There are two chambers here, the outer cave, a tall atrium which is lit through an opening in the roof and the inner sanctum that has a low roof and extends on a surface of 20 metres (66 feet). The two other caves are Qara ni Bukete (Pregnancy Cave) and Qara ni Kasivi (Spitting Cave).
The Ethel Reef Wreck is located approximately 9 miles (14 km). To the west of Tavewa. This is the wreck of a steamship which went down in the early 1900’s. You can still identify the propellers, anchors, steam engines and condensers. The hull is quite broken up. What is left of the wreck is covered in hard coral. Residing here are rays and eels. Visibility is good, sometimes over 30 metres (98 feet).
Should you wish to start your diving experience in the Yasawas, further your knowledge or just have fun diving, the diving schools and centers will cater to your every need. They offer courses from beginner to advanced level and organise dive outings on a daily basis. There are dive specialists on place who will advise you accordingly and if need be make customized trips for you.
